How Many Types of Kimchi Are There?

The three-day “Kimchi Love Festival 2009” has opened at Gyeonghui Palace and the Seoul Museum of History.  Didn't realise that there are at least 192 different kinds of kimchi; at least that's the number on display at the Festival. Wonder how this one managed to avoid getting cancelled when others have been axed because of the H1N1 scare.

It'll be interesting to see how the Koreans can make kimchi part of global cuisine. When it comes to food, I'm not sure if people like certain things because they think it's good for their health, their complexion or prevent them from contracting avian flu and so on.  It may not be love at first bite or smell for many non-Koreans.

Indeed, my travel companion and I still have vivid memories of the strong smell of left-over kimchi emanating from one ajumma's kitchen of one yeogwan while we were standing at the door, waiting to get some hot water. The odour was particularly pronounced that winter's day and my friend beat a hasty retreat to our room, leaving me to wait for the water with the heavy smell of pickled anchovies in the cold air.

But I've come to love kimchi especially when it's in the form of kimchi tchigae (stew). It's also great as the main ingredient as fried rice and surprise! Left-over kimchi with beancurd and chicken cubes is OK too with cooked oats. One of the most delicious dishes with kimchi I enjoyed was when I spent the night on the floor of the living quarters with the ajumma who takes care of the temple at Mai-san. It was a dish of simple stir-fried chopped-up kimchi  with a pinch of sugar and ground dried anchovies. Heaven.

Excuse me while I go to the supermarket. I hear the kimchi calling my name.

source:
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_Dm_detail.htm?No=67587
http://www.trifood.com/kimchichigae.html